Hegseth Praises Replacement of Overweight Texas Military Deployed to Illinois After Viral Photo Sparks Controversy
- Natalie Frank
- Oct 13
- 1 min read
Defense Secretary lauds enforcement of fitness standards after images of National Guard soldiers deployed to Illinois ignite nationwide debate on military readiness
Natalie C. Frank, Ph.D October 13, 2025
ILLINOIS - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised an internal effort by the Texas Military Department to replace a group of National Guard soldiers deployed to Illinois after a viral photo sparked widespread criticism of troop fitness. The move comes as physical standards across the armed forces face renewed scrutiny and as Hegseth publicly pushes to restore what he calls “discipline and excellence” in the ranks.
“Standards are back at The [Department of War],” Hegseth wrote on social media Monday, sharing a Task & Purpose report that confirmed several soldiers had been replaced after arriving in Chicago.
The controversy began last week when ABC News published photos of Texas National Guard troops arriving in the Chicago suburbs as part of a deployment ordered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The images spread online, showing several visibly overweight service members carrying rifles and duffel bags. The public reaction was quick and harsh, with critics questioning how those soldiers passed physical requirements.
The deployment had already attracted attention after an appeals court temporarily blocked Abbott’s plan to send 200 Guard members to Illinois. But it was the optics of the soldiers’ arrival, not the legality of the order, that shifted attention to the military’s fitness standards.
